Rock, Paper, Scissors
by ShirokiKohyo
Summary: Rainy season has begun. The cool water strengthens the earth, enables new plans to grow, and keeps summer fires at bay. People are satisfied by the surface, the calm mirror which merely ripples when touched. The deep of the water is left undistrubed, alone to ponder its emptiness. I am the water. KuramaXOCXHiei
1. Chapter 1

It was 9 o'clock in the morning, and I was in my first class at a Japanese university. I wore a simple black long sleeved shirt, that was just a bit long on my arms, dark blue jeans, and silver flats. It was still a bit chilly from the winter, in my opinion, as it was only March. Keio University was the name of my new university, which is actually quite a prestigious university, but I was the only one who seemed to be in awe of my surroundings. Actually, I seemed to be the only person who stood out in general. My naturally light brown, wavy hair clashed with the stereotypical black Japanese hair and I was beginning to feel self-conscious as I caught various glances.

"We will begin by introducing ourselves," the teacher said, in Japanese after we all took our seats in the macroeconomics classroom. I felt heat rush to my cheeks in anticipation, and my pulse raced. Public speaking was not exactly my forte, especially in my second language. "Please, begin."

"I am Honda Ayaka, pleased to meet you!" The first girl stood, then bowed to the class, before sitting. A brief silence followed, before the next person promptly rose from his seat.

"I'm Minamino Shuichi, it's nice to meet you." His flaming red hair made him stand out, but his thick Japanese accent clearly indicated that he was, in fact, Japanese. He gracefully took his seat, and the introductions continued. Finally, after many more introductions, it came to me. Unlike the first girl, who sat in the front left side of the room, I was nearly in the last row, towards the middle. I prefer not to sit where people will notice me. But now, all eyes were on me as I stood and made a small bow.  
"My name is Snow Illiana, pleased to meet you." I breathed, trying to sound calm. I know I failed though. I sat, and quickly focused my attention on my notebook. Writing my name and the date, I prepared to take notes when we began with the real lecture.

My next class was similar to the first. We did our introductions, which I expected to be a normal occurrence by now, and began. At the end of that class, as I gathered my books to leave, I heard a small cough next to me. Glancing up, I caught cool, gray eyes staring at me, unwavering.

"I'm Akihisa. You said your name was... Illiana?" The boy said, stumbling over my name. I held back a giggle by biting my tongue and smiling. What a bold individual, to skip over family names and go straight into first names. I couldn't help but enjoy it, since that was how we normally introduced ourselves in the U.S.. He was fairly tall, probably about 5' 11" (which was tall by my standards, considering I was a whopping 5' 1"), and on the skinny side, with straight, shaggy, dark silver hair. Was he talking to me because I happened to look out of the norm as well? He maintained a serious expression in his dark eyes, but held a polite smile.

"Yes, Illiana is my name. It is a pleasure to meet you!" I replied, pulling on the Japanese that I had struggled so hard to learn.

"You speak Japanese very well. Do you mind if I ask where you are from?" Akihisa asked politely, his gaze still following me as I shoved my notebook in my bag. I shifted my eyes to his, and I momentarily wondered if he also wore colored contacts. I squinted at him, trying to see through any fake lenses. He raised his eyebrow at me, and I realized I had yet to answer his question.

"I'm from the United States," I answered simply, and I felt a blush begin to form as he smiled slightly in response. We stopped was we exited the classroom, and he leaned against the door, head quirked slightly to the side. I waited momentarily, giving him a chance to reply and, hopefully, let me get on my way to my next class.

"I've been meaning to go to America, but haven't had the chance yet. I have family who lives there. Anyways, we should get to class. See you tomorrow," He said, raising his hand slightly as a wave before turning the other way. I watched him go, and turned to head towards my next class.

* * *

The rest of the school day went by uneventfully. I didn't see Akihisa again, and few people approached me after he did. They were probably worried that I could not speak Japanese well, and weren't confident in their English ability. Oh well, it didn't bother me very much. The first day was confusing enough, without having to remember a ridiculous amount of foreign (scratch that, _local_ names. I forget I'm the foreigner here) names.

Walking out of my last class as I pulled out my umbrella, I saw a coffee shop tucked away among some other small, independently owned shops near campus. The sign read _La Vita Bella_. The beautiful life, hm? What a darling name for a coffee shop. If only that name held any truth about reality.

Just as the spring rain began to fall harder, I walked in and opened the door, a small bell chiming as I did so, and smelled the familiar fragrance of coffee and pastries. No better place to work on homework than at a coffee shop, with a sweet latte to motivate oneself, right? I looked over the menu as the barista kindly waited, and finally settled on an iced coconut latte.

While the girl, probably no older than 16, began to make my drink, I settled in at a small square table next to the window. I gazed out of the large window, watching the circular raindrops crash to the ground while I waited. After only a few minutes, she brought over my latte, flashing me a smile as she handed it to me, and I spent the next hour focusing on the homework assigned that morning.

"Ms. Snow, right?" I jumped, as a gentle voice broke my concentration. His deep red hair gave him away immediately, and I recognized him from two of my classes. His name was Minamino Shuichi, if I remembered correctly. His stunning emerald eyes calmly focused on me, and I hurriedly turned my eyes away from his intimidating gaze.

"Yes, and you are Minamino, I believe," I replied, voice steadier than I was expecting.

He smiled in response, his nose crinkling ever so slightly. Were those freckles I saw splashed across the bridge of his nose? How stereotypical, a red head with freckles. They suited him though, and seemed to add to his overall "goody-goody" aura. There was a darker energy hidden beneath that, though. Demon, perhaps? A frown tugged at my lips, but I forced myself to maintain my neutral expression. I'd never felt an aura such as his. What was he?

"You are correct. Have you finished the homework assigned for Macroeconomics yet? I was having some difficulty, when I noticed you working on it as well," He said, motioning to his textbooks on a nearby table. I raised my eyebrow in blatant disbelief. He hardly seemed like the kind of individual to struggle with any type of classwork, with his proper speech and tendency to sit at the front of both of the classes we had together. Could there be an alternative motive for talking to me?

I ignored my foreboding thoughts and invited him to study with me. If he was going to play dumb, I could also. Or perhaps he couldn't sense my own aura, and was purely interested in "the foreign girl"? I suppose both options could be possible. I stored those worries away to think more about later, and concentrated on the task at hand: macroeconomics.

* * *

Studying with Minamino actually proved to be rather enjoyable. He was noticeably easy to have small talk with (probably had quite a bit of practice), and fortunately he never tried to delve deeper into my life than what I had exposed at surface level. We said our goodbyes about an hour after we began studying together, and I returned immediately to my dorm on campus. I was lucky enough to not have to worry about a roommate, but I still received many weary glances as I walked down my dorm hall. Finally reaching my room, I closed the door and leaned against it, sighing.

Day one was over, and I had survive.

* * *

**Hey everyone! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! I hope to get more in depth next chapter, but introductions must be done. Let me know what you thought!**


	2. Chapter 2

_"Don't you touch her!" A man yelled, panic laced in his voice. His brown eyes looked around wildly, and he extended his arms to block the woman and child behind him from view._

_"Mommy?" The little girl asked, stunning clear blue eyes wide with fright as she stared at her mother, who was crouched down beside her, holding her._

_"Shh, baby, close your eyes. It will be okay. Don't let them see your eyes, okay sweetheart?" She placed a trembling hand over the girls eyes, and pulled her closer._  
_A cruel, dark laugh filled the house. The man tensed, and cast a worried glance towards his wife and baby girl. How long could they protect their daughter? He wondered, summoning the remaining spiritual energy he had left._

_"Christopher..." His wife's deep brown eyes met his, and she slowly pulled away from the girl. The child shook slightly in response, but kept her eyes shut, like mother had asked her to._

_"I love you, Vanessa," He whispered to her as she stepped next to him, and she touched his arm tenderly, fingertips barely grazing his skin. A tear slid down her cheek._  
_The laughter returned, and it began._

* * *

I woke up panting, beads of sweat dripping down my forehead. That horrible dream, again. I thought it had finished tormenting me years ago, but evidently I was wrong. I grabbed the water bottle I left on my nightstand and took a gulp, savoring the cool water as it calmed my burning throat.

My clock read 7:29 am, which meant that it was about time to wake up anyways. I quickly stepped into the bathroom and showered, letting the water wash my nightmare away for a full 15 minutes. Stepping out, I quickly dried and brushed my teeth and hair. I let my hair air dry, mostly out of laziness, and applied my basic daily make up: foundation, blush, a dab of eye shadow, cat-eye eyeliner, and a few brushes of mascara. I used to have a particular dislike for make up when I would younger and naive, thinking that it hid the true character of a person. It turns out that that barrier was exactly what I needed.

After a moment of pondering, I threw on a simple gray long sleeved shirt, black skinny jeans, and red flats to add a splash of color. And finally, I popped in my brown colored contacts. Giving myself a once over, I grabbed a banana and my book bag before heading to class.

The weather today wasn't bad. The skies were gray, which meant that it was likely to rain later, but otherwise it was pleasant enough. I enjoyed the rain anyways, and after my nightmare, it could do me some good.

"Illiana! Good morning!" I heard a rough voice call out, and I paused to look around. Fortunately, I turned around just in time to avoid being mauled by Akihisa, as he sprinted at me.

"You could have killed me!" I shouted at him, catching my breath as I crouch where I had landed from my jump. I shot him a glare, and he smiled innocently.

"Sorry about that. I thought I wouldn't catch up before you got to your class, so I ran," He explained, gesturing to the building I was about to enter, reasonable was common sense. I shook my head gently, and sighed. I just about jumped when I felt his palm land on my shoulder. A tingling sensation immediately surrounded my shoulder where his hand was rested, and I shifted uneasily. The feeling both burned and cooled at the same time, leaving a strange sensation.

"I didn't mean to scare you. Let me make it up to you. How about lunch?" He asked, his smooth tone causing me to look up at him. He was staring at me intently, and held a barely visible smirk on his lips.

I narrowed my eyes slightly, and shrugged off his hand as I walked past him. I could feel his gaze on me as I spoke without turning back towards him.

"Maybe later, I have class now. See you," I raised my arm in farewell, and walked into the building, leaving Akihisa silent behind me.

As I walked through the halls towards my class, I heard a small snicker. Turning slightly, I saw Minamino leaning against the wall, smiling. Or smirking? It was really hard to tell, to be honest. He had one of those faces, where some expressions could look like two different expressions if you think about them. I stop mid-step, again.

It seems like today was just not my day to get to class without being bothered. I was starting to miss the earlier part of the month, when I was left to my thoughts for a large part of my days. I was beginning to get used to Akihisa being around, as I saw him a few times a week, but it had been a couple of weeks since Minamino had really spoken to me, at the cafe. Yet here he was, eyeing me with a look that tried to immitate innocence. I was not so easy to fool, however. I couldn't be.

"Seems like you have already managed to accquire a fan, Ms. Snow," Minamino said, as his smirk grew. Yup, it was definitely a smirk at this point.

"Akihisa, you mean? He's just a friend, who doesn't know how to avoid hitting people when he runs," I shrugged it off, continuing my path to class. Minamino promptly joined me, as we were going to the same class regardless. He didn't respond to me, and I'm pretty sure I heard him quietly laughing.

We made our way to the classroom door in silence, and he was quick to open the door for me, with his ever-present smile.

"Thanks," I mumble, looking down to hide the tiny blush that was threatening to crawl to my cheeks.

I think I heard a small 'mm-hmm' as I walked past him. I continued up to my seat towards the back, and set my bag down with a 'thump' on the desk. A couple of the other students had arrived already, but we still had another 10 minutes before class began, so many students were wondering around the hallways, postponing their arrival.

"Mind if I sit by you today?" Minamino asked suddenly, and I noticed a few of the female students were giving me some nasty looks. When did he get back here, anyways? I thought he had already taken his seat up front.

"If you insist," I shrugged, nodding to the empty seat to my left. He smiled in response, and gently set his bag on the desk before sitting.

"So, Ms. Snow, how was your evening after the coffee shop last night?" He inquired politely, and I finally gave him my attention.

"Why do you call me Ms. Snow? Illiana is okay. In America, first names are more common than family names. Family names seem so... Distant," I finally said. It's ironic that I, of all people, am complaining about being too distant. But seriously, this is ridiculous. Maybe in Japan it was standard practice to address others by their last name, but I could only stand hearing "Ms. Snow" so many times in a day. Maybe I was just being cranky because of my nightmare, but it really was starting to become overwhelming for me.

"My apologies... Illiana," Minamino said, more quietly than before. I almost felt bad for snapping, but it was already done. I tried to smile a little, attempting to ease the tension I had created.

* * *

**Shuichi**

I arrived at school early, which was typical for me. I made it a habit to get to class early, partly to play the excellent student my mother had expected me to be, and partly to avoid the crowd. Normally, I would arrive about 20 minutes early, take my seat, review my homework, and otherwise just wait patiently for class to begin.

Today, however, was different.

I arrived early as usual, but as I was walking in, I heard an unfamiliar voice shout behind me.

"Illiana! Good morning!" I spun around just in time to watch Snow throw herself through the air to avoid an oncoming student. Her light brown, nearly blonde, hair fell to her elbows losely as she began to scold the boy. I smiled as I watched, until he put his hand on her shoulder.

A hard frown found it's way to my lips, and my eyes narrowed at the two.

An uneasy feeling surrounded the pair as they were in contact, and it was not because of their unstable human emotions. It was something deeper, something that I had to concentrate on to even get glimpse of.

Snow seemed to notice the change to some extent as well, and a strange expression came across her face as her eyes flashed to his hand momentarily. After only another second of conversation, she pulled away from him, and whatever I was sensing disappeared along with the contact.

She began to walk towards me, and I dashed behind to corner, so it wouldn't appear as though I was watching her. She hurried right past me without a even glance, and I couldn't help but chuckle at her ignorance of my presence.

Snow stopped immediately, and her head turned in my direction. A little slip up, and now I likely seemed to be a stalker. Lovely.

"Seems like you have already managed to acquire a fan, Ms. Snow,"

Her eyebrows rose as she analyzed me, before responding quietly. She had a tendency to speak quietly, a quality I rarely saw in girls her age. I wondered what she was thinking.

We entered the class together, and she didn't so much as glance back at me as she went back to her seat.

I felt somewhat put out. I am truly not a particularly egotistical person, but I am aware to some extent of the reaction that many women had towards me.

Snow, however, seemed completely unaffected by my presence. I watched as she took her seat, seeming to find relief in the back of the room, and I found myself heading in her direction.

I was not following her because of a pathetic human crush. She had a fairly pleasing appearance, with her soft, wavy hair and fair skin. Her lips were a little thin, but not unbearably so. However, I had seen many more beautiful women, and I was not easily effected by such things. No, what was moving my legs towards her now was something different.

I felt it after the first day of classes at that coffee shop, _La Vita Bella_, while I was studying. The smaller room had made it easier to sense that there was something unique about her aura.

It was hard to really feel such a small aura, even in such a confined room, so I had approached her, using studying as my excuse. Unfortunately, even sitting right next to her did not prove to be much help.

The only thing I knew was that she was different than anything I have encountered before. She did not have the darker aura of a demon, like Hiei, but did not quite have the pure energy of a spiritual human, such as Kuwabara. Perhaps she was a mix of some sort?

I considered these thoughts as I arrived next to her, and sat down. She watched me with timid interest, and it was then that I decided that in order to know just exactly it was I was dealing with, I needed to find a way for her to open up to me. If she was a threat to this area, I would have to report her immediately to Koenma and deal with it accordingly.

"So, Ms. Snow, how was your evening after the coffee shop last night?" I asked her casually, hoping that she would fall for the bait.

"Why do you call me Ms. Snow? Illiana is okay. In America, first names are more common than family names. Family names seem so... Distant," She asked me, a certain coldness to her voice, as she fiddled with the slightly-too-long sleeves of her shirt.

Now, that was an odd thing to say. She was inviting me to address her more personably, yet she said it in such a harsh way. Should I be flattered, or offended?

"My apologies... Illiana," I replied, unsure of how to respond to such a reaction. Getting to know her would likely prove harder than I was expecting.

She looked down guiltily, before a small smile came to her lips.

Her eyes met mine, and for the first time, I paid attention to her eye color. They were a dull brown. Nothing too spectacular. Something about them seemed fake though. They were almost too dull, too typical.

I barely had time to think about it though, because Illiana quickly turned towards the front. Class had started.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, readers! I just wanted to say thank you so much for the two reviews I have received so far. I must say, they have motivated me to continue this story! I will reply personally eventually, but I was so excited to get this chapter up, I'm posting it now and working on the next one.**

**I promise, there will be so much more of Yusuke and the gang (namely, Kurama and Hiei) coming up in the next chapter. I haven't meant to focus so much on Illiana and Akihisa, but you will see why their relationship is important later on. Thank you for bearing with me!**

**Anyways, enjoy~!**

* * *

Time is flying by, it seems.

I have already been in Japan for two months, attending Keio University. I like it here. The culture is interesting to me, of course, but that is becoming easier for me to adapt to every day. More so, I enjoy that I have freedom and space.

Don't get me wrong, I loved living in America with my aunt Katey. My aunt took me in when I had no where else to go, when I was only 8 years old, still a child. She raised me, and trained me, when she could, to defend myself against the enemies we both knew I would have.

I was limited there, though. She was always worried about what could happen if someone got too close, if someone found out my secret. For that reason, I didn't really make friends in California. I spent most of my time studying, so that I could get high scores and leave the country to attend a university. When I wasn't studying, I was training with my aunt.

She is a rather gifted psychic, as her brother was, my father. She trained me physically more than anything, and would force me to run 5 miles every day. After I finished running, she would have me train my muscles by climbing or doing weight training, or basically whatever she felt like.

We occasionally sparred, but I never stood a chance. She had the advantage no matter how strong my body was; she could control her spiritual energy, while I could not.

Now that I am on my own, it is harder to maintain that discipline, but I do try. I run every day, and do basic muscle training in my small dorm room.

I enjoy that I can go out more now, even though I still spend most of my time alone. No matter how well I hold my facade, someone might be able to see through me if they get too close to me. Aunt Katey never really approved of me hanging out in public very much. She became paranoid about my safety after I began living with her. That is one thing that has changed since I moved out.

It seems I cannot keep everyone out, however. Akihisa has insisted that we become friends, no matter how stoic I act towards him. Shuichi seems to have taken a similar approach, though he is a different matter all together.

I know there is something darker to Shuichi than meets the eye. He seems so polite and kind, but I can't shake the nervous feeling I get whenever I am near him. I always trust my gut; it rarely proves me wrong.

That's not to say that Akihisa is normal either though. The moment we made contact, I knew something was different about him. I had never experienced the sensation that I felt when we made contact before. There must be a reason behind it.

I cannot seem to figure either of them out, but both seem determined to have me around.

Speaking of which, a knock gently sounded on my door.

It is a Saturday morning, which means there aren't classes. I get up from my desk, where I was writing an e-mail to my aunt, and run to my bathroom to check myself.

My contacts were still in. Good.

I step over to the door, and open it halfway.

"I knew you would be in here, Illi," Akihisa said, smiling his typical half-smile, calling me the new nickname he had deemed "easier to pronounce". He promptly pushed the door open completely, and let himself in.

"How did you find my room, anyways?" I asked as I watched him look around my room. I kept it fairly clean, with few decorations. I only had one picture next to my bed, a picture of my parents, aunt Katey, and myself on my 7th birthday. I saw Akihisa look at it, but he didn't question me about it. I suddenly became uneasy with having him in my personal space.

"I have my ways," He answered vaguely, and I narrowed my eyes at him. He likely sweet talked to some girl until she told him. I had noticed that he is rather flirtatious with, essentially, every female he encounters.

"Is there something you need?" I asked, watching him sit on my bed and bounce slightly, testing it.

"Just for you to come with me to get coffee," He half-smiled at me again, getting to his feet.

I roll my eyes at him, and fought back a smile. This isn't the first time he has tried to get me to spend time with him outside of class, or studying.

"I'm busy," I answered simply, still standing by the door.

"I can wait," He replied easily.

"You never give up, do you?" I ask, walking over to my desk, shutting my laptop.

"Nope,"

"Fine. But just coffee. And I'm paying for myself,"

"Okay," His smile widened to a victory grin, and he walked to the door. I grabbed my purse, and followed him out, locking my door.

* * *

Japan was just passing the rainy season, which meant it was sunny, painfully hot, and humid. Regardless, I wore a brown, long sleeved shirt, with blue jean shorts, and sandals. I put my hair into pigtails, hoping to relieve some of the heat.

We went to my favorite coffee shop, _La Vita Bella_, which was only a 15 minute walk from my dorm room. Akihisa chatted the whole way, which was typical. He brought up anything and everything, from the weather to movies or random people we saw walking by.

To be honest, I enjoy his company. I've never really had a friend before. It was a new experience to me, and I found that no matter how much I tried to force myself to stay away from him, I just couldn't.

We ordered our drinks, and sat on the outside patio of La Vita Bella. Akihisa seemed to really enjoy the clear day, as he had commented on its beauty at least four times so far, and a cool breeze blew through when we sat down.

"Don't you know him?" Akihisa asked, once we sat down. I turned to where he was motioning, and saw Shuichi standing across the street with someone. The person with him was much shorter than he was, possibly even shorter than me, with spiked, pitch-black hair. He was dressed completely in black, and seemed to be wearing a... Cape? Hm. I didn't realize capes were a fad in Japan.

Shuichi didn't notice me and was speaking hurriedly at the boy. I was about to look away, when the boy turned his head directly towards me. My eyes widened, and I shivered. His eyes were a burning red, and his glare seemed to pierce right through me. Shuichi followed his gaze, and saw me and Akihisa, before his eyes flicked back to his friend and he spoke again. But the red eyes refused to leave me, and I felt a headache begin to form. I fought back the urge to press my head, where it ached.

Suddenly, Akihisa stood and captured my attention, pulling my eyes from the boys' fiery glare. Akihisa narrowed his eyes towards him, and I stared in surprise. I had never seen this side of him in the last two months I had known him. His gray eyes turned stormy, the color almost seeming to whirl around in his eyes. The weather seemed to sense the tension in the air, and the cool breeze began to increase until a vicious wind tore at us.

Fear gripped me, and I reached my hand forward, until my hand touched Akihisa's. Akihisa's eyes widened at the contact - the first physical contact we have had since that one incident - and my hand tingled as it briefly touched his. The wind slowly died down, and I glanced back to where Shuichi and his friend were. Both were gone. I retracted my hand from Akihisa's, and he swiftly sat back down.

"Are you okay?" I asked, quietly. I sipped at my latte, savoring the strong flavor.

"Of course," He said, voice straining to seem care-free. He looked at me and smiled, but he seemed distracted.

I tried to think of something to say, something to relieve the tension I was still feeling.

"Do you want to see a movie?" I asked finally, trying to seem more chipper than I was feeling.

He seemed surprised, before a genuine smile broke out on his face. Was this the first real smile I had seen on him? I was accustomed to his half-smiles, smirks, and grins. This was different though. This seemed pure. I smiled back, wider than normal. It must be contagious.

"I do," He said, and we went to the movie theaters, with our coffee.

* * *

It has been a month since that day. Akihisa and I have become closer, and I almost felt like he could have been my brother. I still valued my alone time, but I have all but given up keeping him out, so we spent at least one day a week together. Usually it was spent studying at coffee, unfortunately for him, but it was an improvement so he didn't complain very much.

Shuichi refused to talk in length about that day when I saw him with his red-eyed friend. I approached him about it in class, but he avoided it as best he could. I finally gave up, and things returned to normal.

Today was a Friday, and class had just finished. I walked out of my class with Shuichi (I have my first and last class of every day with him), and we talked lightly about our weekend plans. More accurately, he talked about his and I merely said "studying". I usually let him do the talking.

Suddenly, Shuichi stopped walking. I turned around to look at him, wondering why he had stopped.

"Why don't we go somewhere this weekend, together?" He asked, moving closer to me. I felt my face burn, and I paused before answering.

Do I really want yet another person at risk of getting hurt if they get to close to me?

The answer was easy.

"Sorry, but maybe another time. I have a lot of homework to catch up on," I replied casually, trying to seem distant.

"I can help you with it then," He swiftly answered. His emerald gaze did not shift once from me.

"I don't know..." I hesitated, looking to the ground.

"I'll come get you at 4 pm tomorrow night, alright?" He continued. His fingers gently brushed my cheek, causing me to look up, surprised. He seemed startled by his actions as well, and quickly withdrew his hand.

"O-okay," I mumbled. I gave him my room number, before hurrying away, leaving him alone.

* * *

**Shuichi**

I walked home, after asking Illiana out this weekend, thinking about her innocently shocked expression as I insisted on meeting with her.

My hand was cold from where I had touched her cheek, her skin surprisingly cool to the touch.

She was showing signs of finally letting her barrier down after 3 months of me pushing to get closer to her. She always resisted any closeness, but recently it had been easier for me to get her to talk to me. It was likely related to her recent annoying companion, Akihisa. I did not know him well, but he never spared me any kind looks, and seemed to hover around Illiana frequently.

It was no matter, however. I had a good feeling about this weekend.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello, my lovely readers! Thank you so much for reading this story until this point, I really appreciate it! I hope the story can pick up a little bit more from here on, and we can get to the more important part of the tale.**

**Important note: I might combine chapters 1 and 2, or 2 and 3, to make the whole "learn-about-everyone's-dynamic-and-introduce-ever yone" thing seem a little easier to read.**

**Alright, now onto reviews!**

**Golden Snowflake: Thank you so much! I'm thrilled that you are enjoying it so far, even though I have two OC's. I'm still working a bit on where I want to go with the story - more towards a Yu Yu Hakusho storyline, or if I should come up with my own storyline for the whole crew - but I really hope it continues to capture your interest!**

**anon: Thank you! I will do my best to keep it interesting. :) Please let me know if you have any recommendations!**

**Michiko: I'm really happy that you are interested in Illiana as a character! I tried to reveal a little more about her in this chapter, but I really want to delve a little deeper into her personality as we continue. I was sort of rushing to get to the main part of the story. Please let me know if there is anything I can do better, I would love to hear your advice!**

**Thank you, lovelies! :)**

**Now, enjoy~**

* * *

It was now Saturday, 3:58 pm. Shuichi should be stopping by at any moment now. I looked myself over once again in the mirror. I decided on a light pink, long sleeved dress, with strappy brown sandals, to match my contacts.

At exactly 4 o'clock, a knock sounded on my door. I answered it quickly, and was greeted by Shuichi's dazzling smile. He held out a rose to me.

"Good evening, Illiana. This is for you," He said sweetly, and I felt my cheeks warm as he handed me the flower.

"Thank you, Shuichi," I said, taking the rose from him and promptly placing it in a cup with some water. He waited patiently by the door for me.

We then took our leave, and he offered his arm to me. I hesitantly rested my hand on his arm, butterflies stirring in my stomach.

At first, we walked around for a little while and he took me to a beautiful local flower shop about twenty minutes from my dorm. The refreshing fragrances were delightful, and I went to nearly every individual plant to smell them. Shuichi asked me which was my favorite.

I spent a minute choosing it out, before revealing my choice to him. He laughed. Not a little chuckle or anything, a full on, hold your stomach laugh.

"What's so funny?" I grumbled, shielding my flower from his view. He shouldn't laugh at it, that's not nice.

"Illiana, that's a cactus," He said as he calmed himself, tears in his eyes from laughing at my expense. I pout, and look down at it. Now that I'm looking closer, I suppose it is a little bit prickly. But there's a flower on it!

I subtly set it down, and insisted on leaving. He wanted to buy it for me, but I, of course, refused. No way was I going to let him buy me a cactus that he had just laughed at me for!

He led me to a small, classy restaurant, which was hidden in the corner of a cluster of shops. It was dimly lit, with beautiful paintings of European cities adorning the walls. We were seated by the window, thankfully, and each handed a menu as they poured our water. Most of the entrees seemed to be Italian or Spanish. After some thought, I decided on shrimp linguini.

Shuichi hadn't talked much since we arrived, but when I glanced up at him, his gaze was already on me.

"What?" I asked, cheeks turning pink, and I began fiddling with the napkin on my lap.

"Did you know that when you concentrate, you nibble on your lip?" He asked, a warm smile forming on his lips.

"I do?" I poked my lip absentmindedly. Had he been watching me ponder my meal?

"Mm-hmm," His gaze was still on me, and I felt myself becoming nervous.

Our meals arrived, my linguini and Shuichi's spaghetti, and I hesitantly began eating. My goodness, was it delicious! The noodles were warm, and the sauce was creamy and hot. I couldn't help but close my eyes in delight as I enjoyed the beginning of my meal.

"Is it to your liking?" Shuichi asked suddenly, and I caught his eyes once again. Does he ever look elsewhere?

"Mm-hmm!" My mouth was too full to form real words. I swallowed, before a thought occurred to me.

"How did you know about this place, anyways?" I asked, tilting my head slightly as I studied him.

"I brought my mother here three years ago, for her birthday. We stumbled on it by chance, but she loved it. I bring her back every year," He explained, eyes closed in thought as he spoke.

"Wow," I was astonished. I hadn't exactly considered him a "mama's boy" until now. But truthfully, I hadn't really put a lot of thought about his life outside of university before. I wondered what else he did in his free time.

Shuichi continued to tell me about his mother, about how she had raised him. He mentioned that he treated her poorly when he was younger. When he talked about that time in his life, his voice got quieter, and his smile shifted slightly. He obviously held some sort of resentment towards himself for mistreating her.

Didn't he realize that most children misbehaved when they were younger? It struck me as odd that he would blame himself.

"Are your parents in America now?" He asked, politely changing the subject.

I hesitated, and looked at the table. My plate was still halfway full, but I suddenly felt like my stomach couldn't handle another bite.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry," He quickly said, noticing my sudden silence.

"They... Aren't around anymore," I said vaguely, hoping to end it at that.

Shuichi reached across the table, and put his hand gently on top of mine. I looked up at him, shocked. He didn't say anything to me. No "I'm sorry", no "that's too bad", nothing. He just smiled, a calm, understanding smile. And that was enough.

* * *

When we left the restaurant, it was nearly 9 o'clock. Needless to say, it was dark by then, and Shuichi insisted on walking me back to my dorm. As we were walking through a particularly quiet street, a horrible, scratchy voice echoed through the air.

"We finally found the Shizenko," The voice growled, and got closer to us. There were two figures approaching us. One was about seven feet tall, with green scales covering his body. The other was about five feet tall, and his skin was a sickly sort of yellow. _Gross._

Shuichi glared at them, and gently pushed me behind him. I took a shaky breath in, and my hands began trembling.

_How did they find me?_

Shuichi took one glance at me, before pulling a rose out of his hair.

"Rose whip!" He yelled, and the perfect rose grew into a long, deadly looking vine covered in thorns.

"I do not know why you are looking for her, but I would recommend you leave now. I will not warn you again," Shuichi mumbled at them, voice threatening. The demons chuckled in response.

Time seemed to pause momentarily, my heart pounding in my ears, before the green demon lunged at us. Shuichi spun, and his whip slammed against the demons chest. There was cracking noise, before the whip bounced off of the demon. The demon laughed, but did not stop.

"Did you really think you could penetrate my scales with that measly vine?" He laughed darkly.

It was then that I noticed the other demon was also taking action. He was running behind the green demon, and the moment before reaching Shuichi, jumped out. They both had their fists raised, ready to double team Shuichi.

I couldn't let that happen.

I sidestepped from where Shuichi had put me behind him, and took three fast steps forward. As Shuichi blocked the first demons punch, I launched my right foot at the other's face. I was fortunate that he hadn't expected me, and he recoiled back, gripping his chin and screaming profanities at me.

I watched the demon wearily, and felt a drop of rain land on me, followed by many others. As the rain increased, I felt my anxiety over the situation calm slightly. The demon ran at me again, and I dogged, movements becoming more fluid. He yelled in frustration, and I retaliated by running my fist into his shoulder. I was going to attack again, but before I could, hot blood spurted on my face. I watched, wide eyed, as the demon fell in half, split down the middle. Behind him, red eyes glared at me. The man sheathed his sword, and I was quickly reminded that Shuichi was still there. I spun to look a him, but saw the green demon laying on the floor, vines sprouting out of his body. It looked like a plant was growing from inside him.

The rain began to slow down, until it was barely sprinkling.

Shuichi looked me over, emerald eyes wide as he checked for any wounds. He sighed quietly when he came to the realization that I was, indeed, uninjured. Then, he turned towards his friend.

"Thank you, Hiei," Shuichi said, relief ringing in his voice.

I turned towards the so-called Hiei. He had much paler skin than Shuichi, nearly as pale as myself. Contrary to what I had thought when I saw him for the first time a month ago, he was not shorter than me. In fact, he was probably an inch or two taller. Maybe. It was hard to tell from a distance. His skin was otherwise flawless, as far as I could tell. He had almond shaped eyes, that seemed to constantly be narrowed in a heated glare, and his black hair was defying gravity.

What an odd-ball.

Yet I couldn't tear my eyes away from him. He was captivating, for reasons unknown to me.

"We should probably see Koenma," Shuichi sighed, running a hand through his wet hair. My cheeks got warm as he turned to me, his hair clinging to his face.

* * *

"Well, I can't say I was expecting to meet another Shizenko in this century, but it is a pleasure," The toddler-prince said. I would have been shocked at his appearance but to be frank, I have seen stranger things. In the demon world, nothing is off limits.

"It is an honor," I replied politely, bowing slightly. A cocky gleam seemed to catch his eye when I did that, and I fought back the urge to roll my eyes at him.

"Why have you brought her here, Kurama?" Koenma asked, directing his attention to Shuichi. I looked at Shuichi curiously.

"We were attacked today. The demons seemed to be after Illiana," He replied simply, sparing a glance in my direction. I rose an eyebrow at him.

"I see. That is curious indeed," Koenma stated, furrowing his brows in thought.

"It seems appropriate that she would be under someone's protection. Genkai, perhaps?" Shuichi suggested.

I didn't like having my fate decided as if I wasn't even there.

"This is not the first time I have been attacked though. I can take care of myself!" I interrupted, crossing my arms. Don't I get a say in what I do?

Shuichi's eyebrows shot up, surprised at this new fact.

"That may be, but being a Shizenko, it is important that I assist as much as I am able to. If something was to happen and I was in a position to prevent it, I fear I would not be in a good spot with my father," Koenma replied, closing his eyes. He seemed to shake momentarily, before looking back up at us.

"Kurama is right. I believe it would be safest for you to stay at Genkai's for now. Your summer break should be starting in a week, assuming you go to school with Kurama, so I would like for you to move in then. We can figure things out from there,"

I sighed. There was no arguing with him. As prince of the spirit world, I suppose he did have final say, anyways. But I didn't have to like it. I had just gotten comfortable with my dorm, it would be a hassle to move now.

What would I tell Akihisa?

I shook the thought away. I would deal with that when the time came.

"May I leave now?" I asked, attempting to maintain my polite demeanor.

"Yes. Kurama will take you home, and I will have Hiei keep an eye on you when Kurama cannot, until you move to Genkai's. I will send someone to pick you up in a week," Koenma said, nodding, as Shuichi motioned for me to follow him. I bowed as I left the room with Shuichi.

Hiei, who had been silently leaning against a wall during the entire conversation, left as well. The three of us entered the portal that we had used earlier, to get to Koenma's in the first place, and were transported back to where we had left.

* * *

When we arrived at the street we were last located in the human world, where we fought the demons, I noticed that the bodies were no where to be seen. Where they could have gone, I had no idea, but I was thankful that it was not me who had to clean them up.

There was not even a moment of silence to ponder everything, before Shuichi-no, Kurama-spoke.

"What is a Shizenko?" He asked, curiosity laced through his voice. I frowned. Why was he the one asking questions, shouldn't I be?

"Why did he call you Kurama?" I threw back. That meeting made me rather cranky; I was losing my freedom once again. Shuichi/Kurama sighed, rubbing his temples.

"In my last life, I was a demon known as Youko Kurama. Due to... Certain events, my soul was forced to flee into the human world, and I took the form of a human new born," He explained, somewhat patiently. I knew there was more to this story than what was included in this tiny, unworthy summary, but my questions could wait I suppose. His curious stare and Hiei's burning eyes on my back were motivation enough for me to quickly explain myself.

"I see. To answer your question, a Shizenko is, literally, a "Child of Nature". At least, that is the formal term. There are a lot of complexities about it, but there are very few of us. That is why I am being attacked; our gifts are rare and incredibly hard to locate," I tried to summarize as quickly as Shuichi did, but it ended up sounding rather vague. I knew they would have questions.

"How many are there?" Shuichi asked, intrigued. Even though Hiei didn't say anything, I knew he was interested as well by the way he analyzed me as I spoke.

"Four. There are always four, never more, never less. The reason for that is because we each embody one of the four elements. In a way, we are that element. The spirit of each element merges with a developing soul, while it is still in its' mothers womb, and will stay with that soul until they die. When that individual dies, the spirit separates itself and finds a new soul, so that it's existence in this world remains constant. Does that make sense?" I finished, hoping that this explanation would clarify most questions that he could think of. I watched as Shuichi pondered this, and Hiei turned his attention to the sky.

We walked in silence for a few moments, nearing my dorm. It was almost midnight, and I could feel my need for rest after such a long day. I stifled a yawn.

"Can you tell which element each Shizenko is?" Shuichi asked suddenly. It was an odd question, but not entirely unexpected.

"You can,"

"How?" He pressed, stopping as we stood outside of my dorm buildings' door. Hiei leaned against the wall, peering at us from the corner of his eye. My goodness, he certainly is quiet.

"Through their eyes," I whispered, before going inside, alone.


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm so sorry for the delayed update! I transferred schools, and it has been quite a hassle adjusting and keeping up. But it's fun! And hopefully I can make more time to update. Thank you for being so patient with me!**

* * *

It has been three days since the encounter with the demons. Shuichi walked me to and from class daily, but often had to leave immediately after. I knew Hiei would then take over, but I never actually saw him.

I pulled my gym shorts on, and a long sleeved shirt, before slipping on my running shoes. As I walked outside, there weren't many other people around. Probably because it was 8pm. I pulled on my feet and stretched, then began my run. I felt the air rush in and out of my lungs, and increased my pace. The sound of my feet slapping on the ground kept me going, and 30 minutes later, I heard a second set of footsteps next to mine. Glancing up, I saw Hiei running next to me, easily keeping pace. He didn't even look at me as we ran, and began to speed up. I pushed myself harder, trying my best to keep up. Adrenaline pumped through my veins as we ran.

20 minutes later, and my legs were throbbing. Hiei appeared to be bored, but merely stayed 5 feet in front of me, rather than disappearing like I was expecting. Finally, I slowed to a jog, and then a walk. My breath came out in heaves. Hiei turned, giving me an uninterested look, before blurring out of my sight.

I walked inside my room, flopping on the floor. Sweat was dripping off of my body. I stayed there momentarily, before pushing myself off of the ground, and I took a shower. After showering, I sat at my desk and read for a little while, before going to bed.

The next day was similar. Shuichi walked me to school again in the morning. Surprisingly, Akihisa hadn't been in class since the last week. I was beginning to worry about him, but I tried to push it to the back of my mind. After class, Shuichi met me at the front door and we walked back together.

"In three days, you will be moving in with Genkai," Suichi said as we walked. I continued to look forward.

"I know. I don't even know her, though," I mumbled, wondering what type of person she was.

"Please don't worry. She is a very kind, even if she is... Harsh, at times. Anyways, we will also be staying with her during your stay. We must keep up with our training, or we could be caught off guard," He said, somewhat reassuring me. I was curious about what he was training for, but I kept my thoughts to myself.

His hand brushed against mine, and gently squeezed my hand in reassurance. I said nothing, but my cheeks became warm as I bit my lip. My eyes flicked to him, and he was smiling at me. He held my hand momentarily before letting go, and we continued walking to my dorm.

Later that evening I ran again, and was once again joined by Hiei. He continued to push me, and I tried desperately to keep up, but the soreness from the day before held me back even more. He didn't let up though, and at the end, I fell to my knees as sweat dripped from my face onto the grass beneath me.

He didn't immediately leave, however, which was surprising. He paused as I gathered myself, and merely threw a glare at my direction. Once I stood, he left, without a word. I sighed, before returning to my room to clean myself from the film of sweat I had acquired.

The next day, I didn't have class so I stayed in my room for the majority of the day. I had to pack for my time at Genkai's. I finished at around 4pm, so I figured it was time to train my awareness. Although I was unable to access my elemental power, I was still able to somewhat control my spiritual energy, although it was difficult.

I sat on the floor in my room, and shut my eyes. I pushed my mind open, trying to locate the energies around me. It was not easy. Eventually though, I was able to vaguely sense the students in the rooms next to mine. Then, I sensed a particularly strong energy. I quickly recoiled, terrified of what was coming.

I paused and waited for an attack.

But nothing came.

After minute, it occurred to me that I was still being watched.

_Was that Hiei or Shuichi then? _

I had no idea that they were so strong! I mean, I could have guessed but... There's something more shocking about actually sensing an energy than merely guessing at it.

I opened the window and peered out, looking for either of them. However, neither Hiei nor Shuichi were in sight, and I sighed as I pulled myself back into my room.

* * *

The next morning I was woken up by a knock at my door. I sat up slowly, glancing at my alarm clock.

6 am. Whoever was here at this time had better have a good explanation for waking me up.

I pulled myself out of bed, and dragged myself to the door. I twisted the knob, and opened it to a cheerful looking Shuichi. I glared up at him sleepily, and as his eyes met mine, I realized I had forgotten something vital in my sleepy state. His deep green eyes widened and his mouth set in a hard line, and as fast as I could, I slammed the door in his face. I ran to the restroom, locking myself in as I fell against the wall and stared at myself in the mirror.

Wide, swirling, clear blue eyes stared back at me.

He had seen them.

I shakily placed the brown contacts in my eyes, before taking a deep breath and exiting the bathroom. I re-opened the door for Shuichi, and he smiled at me.

"Are you ready to leave for Genkai's now?" He asked, kindly. He didn't even mention my eyes.

Was there a chance that he hadn't seen them? Hope filled my chest, and a small smile formed on my lips.

"Yes, I'm ready. But seriously, why so early?" I asked, lifting my bag from the chair I had set it on.

"Genkai wants to spend today testing your abilities, which she thinks will require the full day. Don't worry, it shouldn't be too difficult," He finished as he saw my distraught expression.

I followed him outside, and saw there was a car parked there, waiting for us. Someone was in the front seat.

Shuichi opened the back door for me, and I slid in. Shuichi sat in the drivers seat, in front of me. As he started the car, which I had determined to be a black BMW and was quite shiny, I observed the person in the passenger seat. He had black, slicked back hair and tan skin. His toned muscles showed through his semi-tight white t-shirt and he also wore light blue jeans. He turned towards me, a warm smile on his lips, and nodded to me.

"Hey, I'm Yusuke," He said. His brown eyes reminded me of chocolate. Which, in turn, made me want chocolate.

"Hello," I said, as I eyed him nervously. His confidence was intimidating, and it also radiated off of him.

He raised an eyebrow, and I realized I hadn't introduced myself.

"Illiana," I said, cheeks growing warm with embarrassment.

"Where are you from?" He asked, eying my lightly colored hair, which I had pulled into a bun.

"America. California, to be exact," I said, and he seemed to think about it for a moment.

"How far is Genkai's, Shuichi?" I asked, turning my attention to the window.

"About 2 hours from here," He said, looking at me through the review mirror.

"Mmm," I acknowledged that I had heard him, before leaning my head against the window. I tried to think of how today would go, what kind of training I would be undergoing, but in the end, I just dozed off.

Later, I was woken up with a nudge.

"We're here," Yusuke said, as he got out. I sat up, and Shuichi opened the door for me. I pulled my bag to me, and stepped outside.

We were in a forest. At least, that's how it appeared to be. At the bottom of a monster set of stairs.

"I don't suppose we have to go up those, do we..?" I asked, dread filling my body. Yusuke grinned, and took off running up the stairs without us. Shuichi shook his head, before motioning for me to follow.

We climbed the stairs, and I was suddenly thankful for all of the running my aunt had me do. The stairs weren't fun by any means, but at least I could get to the top without significant injury.

We finally got to the top, and my legs weren't happy. At the top was an entrance to a temple, with an old woman standing in front, arms crossed.

"So this is the Shizenko, huh?" She scoffed at me, as I panted from the stairs.

I wanted to glare at her, but really, how scary could a sweaty, panting girl look anyways?

"Yes, this is Illiana. Illiana, this is Master Genkai. She will be helping you," Shuichi said, introducing us. I nodded.

"Well, go change and begin for training. We need to see how much work I have ahead of me," She said, turning and walking away. My eye twitched, but I didn't say anything, and followed Shuichi to the guest room inside.

He waited outside my door, while I changed into black knee-length yoga capri's, with a brown long-sleeved, tight shirt, so it wouldn't move much.

I stepped outside, and Shuichi led me to a field in the back, where Genkai was waiting for us.

"Let's begin. Run laps, until I tell you to stop," She demanded. I gulped, and Shuichi merely smiled at me.

"Good luck," He said, and he went back inside. I was thankful that he did. I didn't want him watching my suffering. I stretched quickly, and began running.

The running went for longer than I expected. The hardest part, I think, was not knowing when it would end. In the end, she let me finish at about 4 miles.

I stopped in front of her, panting as I drank from the water bottle I had brought out. She watched me with uninterested eyes.

"Now, we will see how you do at hand to hand combat," She said, leaving no room for argument.

Anticipation bundled up in my stomach, and I took the fighting stance my aunt had taught me: legs hip distance apart, one foot slightly ahead of the other, both arms bent and hands in semi-fists. Genkai raised her eyebrow at my stance, but didn't say anything.

I didn't move. I never was one for offensive fighting. My aunt primarily taught me defensive because I didn't have much access to my spiritual energy or my elemental energy, so my power was limited to brute force, which was more effective when I was in one spot generally.

Genkai noticed that I wasn't going to move, so she made the first move. She lunged at me, faster than I was expecting, and thrust her fist towards my shoulder. I turned, and threw my now-open hand out, and hit her wrist upwards with my palm. I spun and tried to hit her with my other fist, but she easily dodged it. I followed it with a kick, but she also avoided that, and hit me in the back. I fell to the ground, and coughed.

Genkai didn't give me the chance to recover, unfortunately. She charged again, and I rolled just in time for her fist to hit where I had just been on the ground. I scrambled to my feet, and watched her.

Then, she did what I was hoping she wouldn't. Her fist started to glow with spiritual energy, and I watched her wearily. I had no counter attack for a spiritual attack, I didn't have that kind of control over mine yet.

She attacked, and surprised me by kicking towards my head. I blocked it with my forearm, before I heard her scratchy voice.

"Shot gun!" She yelled, and I barely had enough time to move my arms in front of me.

What felt like thousands of tiny spiritual gun shots hit me continuously, and all I could think about was how I was going to die.

There was no way I could survive such an attack.

When it finally stopped, I fell to the ground. Blood spilled from my mouth, and my world became black.

* * *

**Shuichi**

I left Illiana in Genkai's care, and joined Yusuke inside. He was playing videogames, as Yukino prepared lunch in the kitchen, and I sipped at a cup of green tea while I read my textbook.

Part of me was concerned for Illiana, as she had probably not experienced anything like Genkai's training. However, Genkai knew what she was doing, and I trusted her.

An hour later, I heard something that I did not expect.

"Shot gun!"

Genkai's cry pierced my ears, and in a second I was sprinting out the door, with Yusuke behind me.

Before me, I saw Illiana take the full force of Genkai's famous spirit gun. Her body shook as each attack hit her. My chest tightened in pain and regret as I watched this.

When the attack was done, Illiana fell to the ground. Blood poured from her mouth, and her wide eyes met mine, before rolling back.

I ran to her, assessing the damage, as Yusuke voiced my opinion behind me.

"What is wrong with you, you old hag?! She could have died!" He screamed at her, gripping her shirt as he pulled her closer out of anger.

"Hn. Idiot. She is still alive," Hiei said before Genkai could respond, appearing next to him.

How long had Hiei been here?

I suppose it is of no surprise, he had been told to follow the girl until she arrived here, but part of me was surprised that he actually did it.

"Tch," Yusuke dropped Genkai, before looking at where I was next to Illiana.

"Watch, fool," Genkai said, glaring at Yusuke before she also looked at Illiana. My eyes turned to Illiana's unconscious form.

Some of her clothing had been torn in the attack, and I could see the wounds beneath. Blood leaked from many of them. As I watched, the blood slowly stopped flowing from the wounds. A gentle energy emitted from her, one that I hadn't sensed before, as the wounds recovered until they were no longer life threatening in any way. Color returned to her skin, and she was left with only bruises and dry blood everywhere.

"How..?" I breathed, staring at her.

This shouldn't be possible.

"That would be her elemental energy. Shizenko can not die easily, or so I have been told. If they did, the world would become unbalanced because the element would always been moving, taking on a new personality. I had to verify that this was true," Genkai stated simply.

"You almost killed her on a hunch?!" Yusuke yelled. I stopped listening, as I picked Illiana up to carry her back to the temple.

As I walked with her, I couldn't help but notice that Hiei's eyes never left her unconscious body. I pulled her closer to me, and stepped inside.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed it! :) **


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